Portable lamp for harness.



C. F. BROWN.

PORTABLE LAMP FOR HARNESS.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 12. 1916.

Patented July 3, 1917.

mventor Witnesses Attorneys CARL F. BROWN, OF ST. ALBANS, VERMONT,

PORTABLE LAMP ron HAnivEss.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July3, 1917.

Application filed. September 12, 1916. Serial No. 119,696.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at'St. Albans, in the county of Franklin and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Portable Lamp for Harness, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertainsto portable electric lamps, and aims to provide an electric lamp assembled with the breast collar of a harness, whereby thelamp in being lighted will illuminate the road ahead of the horse, to thereby prevent shadows being cast by the animal from the lights of the vehicle.

One of the objects of the invention is the novel assemblage of the lamp and conductors with the breast collar and traces or tugs of the harness, whereby the electrical connection can be made at the end of one trace or tug with thebattery carried by the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp of special construction for use on the breast collar of a harness, whereby when the lamp is not in use, a portion thereof can be removed, and the remainder of the lamp will provide a compact unobjectionable ornament upon the breast collar.

It is also the object. of the invention to provide adevice of this kind which is'simple and inexpensive inconstruction, which can be readily embodied in various harnesses, and which will serve its office in a sat1sfactory and practical manner.

"With the foregoing and other ob ects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departingfrom the spirit of'the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accome panying drawing, wherein Figure lis a perspective view showing the invention applied to the breast collar and trace of the harness, a portion of the electrical circuit being illustrated diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional detail taken on the line 2+2 of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 is an inverted cross sectional detail taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is an inverted perspective view of the end of the trace illustrating the plug socket.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the plug for connecting the lamp with the battery of the vehicle; p

Fig. 6 is a front view of the lamp carried by the breast collar.

Fig. 7 is a vertical central section of the lamp and accompanying parts.

In the drawing, there are shown a breast collar 1 and one of the traces or tugs 2 havmg the apertures or slots 3 at its end to (em gage a swingletree. The said collar 1 and the trace 2 are composed of inner and outer layers stitched together as usual.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an-electric lamp 4 attached to the front of the breast collar 1, in order that when the lamp is lighted, it will illuminate the road ahead of the horse, which Will also avoid the casting of shadows infront of the horse or draft animal from the lights of the vehicle. I

The lamp 4 embodies a sheet metal band 5 having its rear edge fitting against the outer layer or the breast collar 1, and provided atthe top andthe bottom ofthe band with spurs 6 engaging the outer layer of the collar and clenched behind said layer, to assist in attaching the band to the collar.

The band 5 is provided at its sides with outstanding ears 7 extending from the rear edge and riveted or otherwisesecured to the outer layer of the breast collar, thus to, securely fasten the band 5 in place. A sheet metal partition or disk 8 is secured within the band 5 between its edges, and is provided centrally'thereof with an outstanding or forwardly projecting collar or socket member 9. A disk 10 of fiber or other insulating material is secured to the back of the partition 8 and has a central aperture 11 exposing a spring contact 12 projecting behind the aperture 11- and secured to the back of the disk 10. A pair of electrical conductors 13 extend between the layers of the collar 1,

and one ofthe conductors extends outwardly to slip onto the band 5, the enlarged portion 15 having diametrically opposite apertures 16 with which catch lugs 17 struck from the band 5 at diametrically opposite points are engageable. Thus, when the shell 14 is slipped onto the band 5, the lugs 17 snap into the apertures 16 due to the resiliency of the band and the shell, to thereby hold the shell assembled with the band.

The reflector 18 is inclosed within the shell 14, and is provided at its rim with an outturned flange or lip 19 to seat against the outer end of the shell 14, and the reflector 18 is provided at its central portion with a rearwardly projecting socket member 20 having a socket receiving the electric bulb or lamp proper 21. The member 20 is adapted to fit tightly within the socket member 9 to connect one terminal of the bulb with the partition 8 and with the respective conductor 13, and the central contact of the plug 20 is adapted to engage the contact 12 to connect the other terminal of the bulb with the other conductor 13, thereby to bring the bulb into the circuit. It is evident that when the shell 14 is slipped onto the band 5, the member 20 will be slipped into the socket member 9 to make the electrical connections.

A cap is fitted upon the outer or forward end of the shell 14, and embodies a band 22 having an inturned flange or lip 23 at its forward edgeagainst the rear side of which a glass panel or disk 24 is cemented or otherwise secured. The band 22 of the cap can be readily slipped upon the shell 14, and is provided with apertures 25 engageable with outstanding catch lugs 26 with which the shell 14 is provided adjacent to its other edge. .When the cap is applied, it will hold the reflector 18 in place.

The particular construction of the lamp, including the band 5, shell 14 and cap, comprising three sections of the lamp casing, provides for the removal of the shell when the lamp is not wanted, as during the day time. Thus, by disengaging the shell 14 from the band 5, the reflector 18 will be removed therewith, and the cap can then be removed from the shell 14 and slipped onto the band 5, the apertures 25 of the band 22 being engageable with the lugs 17 of the.

band 5, whereby the cap will inclose and protect the electrical terminals, and the shell 14 and the reflector being removed reduces the size of the attachment upon the breast collar, to avoid the unnecessary encumbrance upon the breast collar when the breast collar light is not wanted. When the light is desired, it can be readily provided by removing the band 22 from the band 5, and applying the shell 14 to the band 5 and the cap to the shell 14, as above described. 7

The conductors 13 can be insulated from one another in any suitablemanner to pre vent short circuit, and extend rearwardly between the layers of the breast collar 1 and trace 2, whereby said conductors will be protected within the breast collar and trace. In'order tocarry the conductors below the apertures 3 of the trace, and to provide for the easy connection of the conductors 13 with the battery carried by the buggy or other vehicle, a sheet 27 of leather or other suitable material is doubled upon a longitudinal line and has its edge portions inserted upwardly between the layers of the trace 3 and extends from the rear end of the trace to a point between the ends thereof. The edges of the sheet 27 are stitched between the layers of the trace, and the intermediate portion of said sheet provides a tubular member 27 above and extending along the trace, and having its forward end merging into the lower edge of the trace. The conductors 13 extend from between the layers of the trace at the forward end of the tubular member 27 into said tubular member to the rear end thereof, within which a plug socket 28 is secured, said socket having the terminals for the conductors 13. In this manner, the conductors 13 are carried above the apertures 3 and above the trace, so as not to interfere with the attachment of the trace to the swingletree, and the socket 28 provides convenient means for making the electrical connection by means of a plug 29 attached to a cord composed of the wires or conductors 30 which are connected to the battery 31 or other source of electricalenergy on the vehicle. When the light is wanted, the plug 29 is easily slipped within the socket 28, which will close the circuit, and if desired, a switch for the circuit can be provided upon the vehicle for conveniently lighting and extinguishing the lamp.-

Having thus described the invention, what 7 is claimed as new is 1. The combination with a breast collar and a trace composed of two layers, of. an electric lamp carried by the breast collar, a doubled sheet having its edges secured between the layers of the trace, the intermediate portion of said sheet providing a tubular member, and conductors for said lamp extending rearwardly between the layers of the collar and trace and extending into said tubular member. a

2. The combination with a breast collar and trace composed of two layers, of an electric lamp carried by the breast collar, a sheet doubled upon a longitudinal line and having its edges secured between the layers of the trace, the intermediate portion of said sheet providing a tubular member extending from the end of the trace to a point between the ends thereof, a socket member fit ted within the end of said tubular member near the end of the trace, and conductors for Said lampextending therefrom between the layers of the breast collar and the trace and extending Within said tubular member to the socket member.

3. The combination with the breast collar of a harness, of an outstanding band carried by the collar and having its rear edge attached thereto, a shell removably fitting said band and having bulb holding means therein, means carried by said band for making electrical connections with the aforesaid means, and a cap removably fitting said shell and applicable to said band when the shell is removed.

4:. The combination With the breast collar I of a harness, of an outstanding band having its rear edge secured to said collar, a partition Within the band having a socket memher, an insulated contact behind said partition and extending behind said socket member, conductors Within the collar connected to said partition and contact, the shell fitted removably upon said band, a lamp reflector Within said shell and having a socket member for the attachment of an electric bulb adapted to slip Within the aforesaid socket member and engage said contact to close the circuit through the bulb, and a cap fitted removably'upon the shell and applicable to said band When the shell is removed. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CARL F. BROWN. Witnesses:

I-I. ELMER WHEELER, ELMO JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). C. 

